D.R. Harris Lavender Hard Shaving Soap in Mahogany Wood Bowl

I am very pleased with this soap. I have used mostly Proraso soap before, and I never liked how the soap stayed wet between shaves and the top layer got mushy in the container. I was also not a fan of the Proraso scent. This soap is very firm and dries out between shaves, which I find much more hygienic and also much more aesthetically pleasing. The wooden bowl it comes in is very nice and looks very classy in the bathroom cabinet, and you can buy replacement pucks without buying a new bowl. The scent is very nice, a fresh lavender note perfect for waking up to in the mornings. It is more a hint of a scent, far from being pungent or overpowering, and it is completely gone by the time I have rinsed the lather off my face - just like it should be. I use a synthetic Parker brush and it is very easy to whip this soap into lather right in the bowl it comes in. The lather this soap produces has the perfect consistency for my taste - it is solid, smooth, and creamy, but not too rich or to thick for my Feather Stainless to get through with ease. Once I loaded my brush, I rinse the bowl and turn it upside-down to drain off any remaining water, then put it back into the cabinet with the lid on and it is dry and ready to go the next morning.

I love the soap, great scent but not overpowering. I only have two knocks against it. One is the bowl it comes in. When I load my brush lather goes everywhere. It’s a nice bowl, just not practical. Second is the price. It’s great, yes, but significantly better than one brand of soap I payed half the price for? Marginally. I plan on purchasing the Marlborough in the future, but just the refill.

About the only down side to this soap is its sent. By which I mean the sent is so weak that it may as well not have one. Also, the bowl only has a mahogany finish, so don't be fooled. That said, everything else about this soap is great. It lathers easily and well, and it is likely to last me about a year. I don't go lightly on this stuff either. Thus far I have tried two other brush lathering products (VDH deluxe and RazoRock classic), and Every Man Jack's non-lathering cream. This stuff is by far the best I have tried. It cushions well and protects my skin against nicks, cuts, and irritation. During the shave the lather feels great to just leave on my face. Best of all once I have finished with aftershaves, my face feels better than it did before the shave.

This is probably THE oldest old-school tallow based triple milled shaving soap on the planet. When you've been making a product for 200+ years (since 1794 as I recall), it is obviously good or else the marketplace would have moved to another product. Extremely slick. Extremely good. Expensive unless you get lucky, but it lasts a LONG time and so is economical from the long view. Lavender is so light that some would consider it almost unscented. Scent does not linger, so you won't smell like a girly-man, Step up to the plate and get some D R Harris.

I stared using a DE Safety Razor and tried various creams/soaps. When I found the D.R. Harris tallow soap, I stopped looking. I get a great shave with it. Leaves my face and neck feeling great. I purchased it in July 2017 and am only now looking to get another. That is nearly 2 years. Great Shave and well worth it.

I've always been a fan of the sensitive skin proraso... this one is a little more moisturizing, and it lathers wayyyyyyy easier. like super mega hyper way easier. It has a fresh smell with good overtones.... although there's a slight undertone of urinal freshener but it's not bad... it's just not quite what I would consider perfect.... but it doesn't really leave the undertone smell on your face... only while you're shaving so its fine. As far as the shaving goes, it performs a lot better than the proraso... Although if you have really greasy skin I would still suggest the proraso...this adds a very light moisturizing to your skin.

I've figured out that there is a difference between soaps and creams.Soaps do put a very fine lather on the face, but not the thick foamy white that can be had from a cream.Basically it accomplishes the same thing: to lubricate the face, wet the whiskers, and protect the skin from razor burn.It does a good job at that, and the lavender scent is not too strong, and doesn't linger if rinsed well and won't compete with cologne.I was applying with a badger brush right in the bowl. At that rate, I might guess this size bowl would easily last a year.

i have used multiple soaps and i like this one the best. very slick, easy to lather and 100x better than any can shaving cream you can buy. my advice is spend some coin on a very good brush, that will make all the difference.